1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fingerprint scanning and imaging.
2. Related Art
Biometrics are a group of technologies that provide a high level of security. Fingerprint capture and recognition is an important biometric technology. Law enforcement, banking, voting, and other industries increasingly rely upon fingerprints as a biometric to recognize or verify identity. See, Biometrics Explained, v. 2.0, G. Roethenbaugh, International Computer Society Assn. Carlisle, Pa. 1998, pages 1-34 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).
Fingerprint scanners are available which capture an image of a fingerprint. A signal representative of the captured image is then sent over a data communication interface to a host computer for further processing. For example, the host can perform one-to-one or one-to-many fingerprint matching.
However, such fingerprint scanners are typically attached or tethered to a computer. These fingerprint scanners can rely upon power from a separate plug or through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. See, e.g., fingerprint scanners made by Digital Persona, Veridcom, and SecurGen.
Mobile use is increasingly desired in biometric applications, such as law enforcement. Police and other users need a portable, hand-held device to easily capture fingerprint images in the field. The portable hand-held device must be powered reliably. Conventional fingerprint scanners tethered to a personal computer cannot meet this need.